Google IO

Today we're having a peek at the Android P Public Beta as it's made available through Google. This system update installs a beta version of Android P (PPP2.180412.013 on your smartphone this afternoon. This update is a "pre-release" edition of Android P, and should be treated as such. Users must opt-in to the Android Beta program to be a part of this preview update.

Android P is almost certainly the biggest reason why many people are interested in today's Google I/O keynote, and it turns out the next version of Android will give a lot of focus to a common pain point for many Android users: battery life. Google will once again be leveraging its work in AI (we're noticing a trend this year) in a new Android P feature called Adaptive Battery.

Today Digital Wellbeing for Android was introduced by Google VP of Product Management Sameer Samat at Google IO 2018. That's a set of controls and features which allow the user to assist themselves in regulating their use of their smart device - starting with the smartphone. Samat described Digital Wellbeing as the in-phone equivalent of locking one's phone in a hotel safe during a vacation - or at least that's what he started speaking about to get the crowd in the mood.

The Google Assistant will soon be able to make phone calls on your behalf. That's what Google CEO Sundar Pichai showed onstage today at Google IO 2018. The call itself wasn't live, right on stage, but the call was apparently 100% real. It didn't go as smoothly as was originally intended - but the Google Assistant kept up with the conversation just fine.

Google Assistant for Smart Displays was announced this week in further detail than we saw earlier this year. CES 2018 played host to a couple Smart Display devices - now we get to see what they're capable of. The first demonstration focused entirely on watching video - live video - with YouTube TV.

This week we've learned of a fix to a security flaw in Android that's plagued the platform for years. The problem begins at a piece of Android called /proc/net. That's a bit of Android which currently has no restrictions for apps - they're able to read this bit of your phone's code any time they like. With this access, an app can see your TCP and UDP files, and check what you're connected to.

Intel may have missed out on getting into smartphones, but it's not willing to do the same with smart cars, and it could well ride Android P's coattails to do it. The chip-maker has confirmed today that it's powering Volvo's new Android-based infotainment system that the Swedish automaker will be deploying on future vehicles.

A bunch of new LG ThinQ TVs were announced this week at Google IO 2018. This isn't the first we've heard of this connection - it's just that now, it's for realz. It's a strange thing, announcing once back at CES 2018 that LG and Google had plans to do this, then again, now, when Google and LG confirmed that, yes, they are indeed going to push that Google Assistant to the LG TVs that are otherwise branded LG OLED TV AI ThinQ.

It's the first day of Google I/O 2018, and if you're looking for the livestream of the big opening keynote, we've got you covered. Each year, Google brings together developers, press, and its own engineers and other employees for a run-down of what's new and special in the cloud, on Android, in autonomous vehicles, and more.

Google has teamed up with JBL for the first Google Assistant powered soundbar, with the JBL Link Bar effectively baking together its voice AI and an Android TV box. Launched ahead of Google I/O 2018, the new gadget is designed to plug into a TV and bring all of Google's media streaming and voice control technologies in one fell swoop.

Google's Android Things has graduated to v1.0, with final software and four new hardware designs announced for those wanting to fast-track Internet of Things devices like smart speakers and connected displays. Announced back in December 2016, Android Things was Google's attempt to make developing IoT products more straightforward, wrapping up Android, Brillo, and some turnkey hardware from partners into an easily-deployable package.

Android Auto is about to get better looking and easier to use, cutting down on driver distraction in the car while putting your favorite media at easier reach. The in-car smartphone projection system is being updated at Google I/O 2018, complete with new UIs for third-party apps and smarter messaging.